Maine Freshman Cooper Flagg Picks Up UCLA Men's Basketball Offer

Mick Cronin's staff is officially pursuing an East Coast wing who is set to transfer to powerhouse Montverde (FL).

(Photo Courtesy of Cooper Flagg/Instagram)

The Bruins are officially targeting one of the fastest rising prospects in the country.

Class of 2025 small forward Cooper Flagg earned a scholarship offer from UCLA men's basketball on Wednesday, the young recruit announced on Twitter. The Nokomis Regional (ME) freshman, who is set to transfer to powerhouse Montverde Academy (FL), is a 6-foot-8 prospect who is starting to catch on 

Bryant was the first school to offer Flagg last summer, followed by Albany in January, and Iowa was the first high major program to send Flagg an offer Monday.

Excited to announce that I have been offered a scholarship from UCLA. Thanks to Coach Cronin and Coach Savino for this opportunity! pic.twitter.com/Wp2wOUJ9q6

— Cooper Flagg (@Cooper_Flagg) April 13, 2022

To be just the fourth school and second Power Six program to get to this point in Flagg's recruitment is no small feat, and Cronin's staff has done so with plenty of time to spare.

UCLA has now offered three 2025 targets, with Flagg joining point guard Jerry Easter and small forward Koa Peat. None of them are from California, let alone the Los Angeles area, so it appears Cronin is prioritizing getting his foot in the door early when it comes to the national prospects with the most promise.

And by offering Flagg after only his freshman year, Cronin has undoubtedly beaten other high major programs to the punch, especially as he prepares to head down to Florida to enroll at Montverde. Instead of playing at a small high school in Maine – a state that has produced just one NBA Draft pick in the past 38 years – Flagg will be playing under a literal spotlight for three full seasons at the same school that RJ Barrett, Ben Simmons, D'Angelo Russell and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute once called home.

Flagg will be joined at Montverde by his twin brother, Ace, but he has yet to catch on in recruiting circles.

Cooper, meanwhile, participated at the USA Basketball Junior National Team minicamp in New Orleans from April 1-3, just one week after announcing his blockbuster high school transfer decision. Flagg will also be playing on the Nike 15U AAU circuit over the summer, where he is expected to pick up even more attention and offers from brand name programs.

No current Bruins are slated to be around by the time the class of 2025 arrives in Westwood, barring surprise redshirts. Incoming freshmen Amari Bailey and Adem Bona are expected to be early NBA Draft entrants, meaning point guard Dylan Andrews could be the only signed player locked into the 2025-2026 rotation.

UCLA does not have a commit for the 2023 cycle as of Thursday, although they are in the semifinalist and finalist stage with several targets. The 2024 and 2025 cycles have yet to bear any fruit for the Bruins either, but there is obviously plenty of time for those to develop.

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